CHAPTER I.
A gentleman and his wife were sitting in their study. He was reading; she was doing some fancy work. In a few moments their son came in, and seeing his father occupied, took a seat by the window to wait until his father was through.
These people were titled, or, rather, the father and mother were. The elderly gentleman was a lord and his wife a princess. They had both received their titles for their grand and faithful work in helping to restore order to the country in which they belonged. Their name was a combination of both their names, Just and Ring, consequently he was Lord Justring and she was Princess Justring. She could not raise him to her title, nor could he change hers, even had they desired it. Their two children were therefore known as the Justrings, they had received the title Honorable, and their parents wished them to gain greater titles which was the custom of the country. Their motto was: “The world is better for my living in it,” for when any one did a great self-sacrificing act, it always added to their title in some way.
In a few moments Lord Justring looked up to see what it was that his son wanted.
The young man approaching, said:
“The study of worlds may be a very interesting subject, but, father, I am positively sick of it. There is nothing in it to reward you for all your trouble, that I can see. Take the planet Earth, for example. The missionaries have not made one beneficial change in the condition of the masses from what they were twenty-five years ago. The fact that we are able to hear as well as see them, I admit, is something to our credit, but what good is it to them? I thought after we had perfected those last instruments that we would be able to make them catch the ideas we are trying to convey to them.”
“Your life can only be perfected by the good you do for the more ignorant worlds. You must be patient; but why are you discouraged?”
“Because the ones I wish to reach and help don’t catch the messages. Instead of helping them I have found that we are actually helping the wealthy people to see their advantage, for they are the only ones who have been able to make use of the suggestions. This wealth, in turn, is being used to cement all the closer the bond of servitude and those who toil are in a worse plight today than in any time during the Earth’s history. Since I have taken up this work, I have no peace of mind and I cannot enjoy life.
“It is a fearful thing to see millions upon millions of people toiling to sustain life, even in times of peace, besides knowing that those who work the hardest have the least for their labor, while the cry of those who are starving because they have no work to do, is unbearable. Then the unnecessary wars all brought about to enrich those in power and keep the ignorant dependent.”
“Why, my son, that is the reason that we who live on the older planets form these societies to reach the younger ones; the planet Herschel has caught the messages sent to them. That should be encouraging.”
“Yes, it is, but only a few in comparison with the multitude of worlds after all.”
“Well, all have to make a beginning; then they can go on and perfect their system as we have done ours.”
At this point of the conversation a young lady entered the room. Her face showed a depth of thought unusual in one so young. She looked at them for a second to see if she would be interfering with the conversation, but as they seemed to be on the same subject she commenced:
“Father, is it necessary for me to continue my efforts to reach the planet Earth?”
“Why, my dear, surely you are not going to complain also. Your brother has just told me that he would like to give it up. It would grieve me sorely if either of you do.”
“Oh, brother, you don’t mean it? Men are so strong, they ought not to give in so soon.”
“It is all very well to say so, but I have not had any peace since I took it up, sister mine. I don’t understand why I should give up so much of my life to what seems such a hopeless task.”
“Well, children, sit down and tell me what you have accomplished.”
“Father,” the young lady replied, “I have accomplished nothing, absolutely nothing that I can see.”
“Well, tell me what you saw.”
“It is so discouraging that I hate to talk about it. The last time I used the instrument I could not only hear all they said, but see them. One of the first things that I saw made me so ill that I can hardly sleep. I saw a woman who lived in a city, in a part of the world they call America, burning her children to death. You know I had asked to take that part of the world because I was told it was the home of freedom. I couldn’t see what the term ‘Freedom’ meant when little children could be left at the mercy of a lunatic. I tried to get away from the instrument, but I was fascinated. Then I directed the instrument to a home, not fifteen minutes’ walk away, and saw the other extreme. I saw women and girls dressed for a reception in beautiful gowns and quantities of jewels; they actually had on their persons enough wealth to support twenty such families for the rest of their lives.”
“Well, I should think that is all the more reason that you should persevere in trying to reach those and make them hear you.”
“Oh, well, father, I cannot talk any more about it today. It is too terrible.”
Lord Justring looked at his children for a few moments and then said:
“You must remember one thing, that you owe to many others besides your mother and I all the blessings you now enjoy. Had we become discouraged at seeing the terrible things all around us when we were at your age, you would not be enjoying all the recreation that you do now, the holidays or the advantages of travel that afford you so much pleasure. Forty years ago the government secured all the land and gave it back to the people, believing that everything created by nature belonged to all; but it did not give them a particular amount to live upon. Myself and others had to work very hard to convince the majority that it was the only just way to do. Now your income is so large that you will never use it all. I have never used all mine, nor do I need it. If you will read the history of the last fifty years you will see a wonderful difference in the lives of the people. They live longer because they have more time to take care of their bodies. They were not compelled to work so many hours, even forty years ago, as they had done in the ages past, but as I said before, there was no special income for all, as there is now.
“At that time we felt justified in setting a certain sum or value for every individual born in our district. Strange as it may seem, humanity was left until the last, all kinds of property were secured to us in this part of the country, but human beings had not had their right value set. We then enforced a law that every man, woman and child had a right to be fed, housed and clothed. An industrial army had been a fact before and the proceeds of their labor enabled the government to secure to all the people an income.
“You know that even yet those who will not work are locked up and deprived of the income they would have otherwise. When they have had enough of solitary confinement we try them again, but don’t allow them a choice of their occupation until they do the best in what we give them to do.
“The people ran riot on this planet, robbing each other as they now are doing on other worlds. History repeats itself over and over again in everything. Well, after the people had gone through the struggle of gaining so much, they were satisfied to let results remain as they were. The majority could not see the dangers ahead, but we who did were determined to settle matters once and forever. Some wanted money given to each individual instead of cards representing their wants.
“‘No,’ we said, ‘money was the enemy that had robbed labor at all times and now money must go.’
“We told them that without its use we had emptied the cities of its criminals; we had scattered the people into the country where all could have sunshine as well as homes. If we still retained money it would only be a short time before a few people could corner the majority in the cities that we had built.
“Children, every advantage that the people possess, the working people had to fight for and they did it by determination and the exacting of their own rights. Even the public schools had to be fought for. The rich were determined that the ‘common people,’ as they always termed those who served them, should not have them. It would raise the taxes, they said, and why should they pay for other people’s children? Common children didn’t need an education. Then many of those ignorant dependents, like so many parrots said, ‘Oh, no, we did without an education, and so can our children.’ This was all before our time. Every generation has its new duties to perform. We received help from older worlds, just as you have been appointed to do our part to the planet Earth. If they had done as you children wish to do, we would have been just where the people upon that planet are now.”
“Well,” his daughter replied, “I will try it again.”
The son answered: “I will not be left out of the struggle now that I see my duty plainer.”
Their father thanked them and when they had left the room said to their mother:
“We must encourage them more, for it is a hardship to see suffering when you cannot relieve it.”